Following the decline of Sukhothai and the subsequent rise of Ayutthaya, and after repeated incursions by invading Burmese armies, Si Satchanalai nearly faded into history. By the 18th century it had been all but forgotten. Restoration efforts initiated in the 1980s by Thailand’s Fine Arts Department, however, have resulted in a renewed awareness of the significance of Si Satchanalai and its legacy.

Si Satchanalai 2

The Buddha sheltered by the multi-headed, cobralike hood of a naga—a serpentlike creature—is a common theme in Buddhist sculpture and painting. In the tale related to the incident depicted here at Wat Chedi Chet Thaeo, the naga king Mucalinda protects the Buddha from a great rainstorm lasting seven days as the Buddha meditates following his enlightenment.

Stucco relief detail from the walls of the viharn, or assembly hall, at Wat Nong Phaya

A steep ascent of well over 100 steps leads to the hilltop ruins of Wat Khao Phnom Phloeng, 'Temple of the Mountain of Fire,' where all that remains are a partially restored Buddha and chedi, a shrine in the form of a small mondop, or open enclosure, and a few laterite columns that once supported the roof of an assembly hall.

Despite its state of decay, the Buddha image at Wat Khao Phnom Phloeng retains a remarkable air of serene dignity.

Just a short distance from Wat Khao Phnom Phloeng are these stone steps, which lead to the hilltop ruins of Wat Khao Suwankhiri.

Sri-Lankan-style stupa at Wat Khao Suwankhiri

Wat Khao Suwankhiri

Wat Khao Suwankhiri

The view from the hill reveals a couple of spires emerging from amongst the dense tree cover: the tops of the main stupas at Wat Chang Lom and Wat Chedi Chet Thaeo.

The enormous Sri-Lankan-style stupa at Wat Chang Lom sits atop two square supporting platforms. Twenty niches, five per side, were built into the upper tier, each niche containing a seated Buddha. Both tiers were apparently designed to allow for circumabulatory meditation.

The remains of a seated Buddha in one of the niches at Wat Chang Lom

Wat Chang Lom

Thirty-six laterite-and-stucco elephants encircled the lower platform at Wat Chang Lom, whose name translates as "temple surrounded by elephants.' Today, they are barely recognizable as such.